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Stuttgart, April 27
Maria Sharapova says she would ‘play in the juniors if I have to’ in order to compete at the French Open and Wimbledon, but has no interest in building bridges with her rivals after making her comeback from a doping ban. The Russian superstar marked her return from a 15-month ban on Wednesday with a 7-5 6-3 first-round win over Roberta Vinci at Stuttgart’s WTA tournament after being given a wild card.
She described the victory as the “best feeling in the world” as the former world No. 1 returned after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. Sharapova has also been granted wild cards into the Madrid and Rome WTA tournaments, but must wait until May 16 to learn if she will get a wild card for the French Open.
She was very clear she will take any chance to try to win a third French Open title at Roland Garros, which starts on May 22. “I’d be prepared to play in the juniors if I have to,” she replied when asked about her desire to play the French Open or Wimbledon. “Everyone in this room knows what a competitor I am and if there is an opportunity to be in the draw, I will take it. I have been offered wild cards and I am accepting them. I am not getting a trophy or a golden platter, I have to win these games and that is my job.”
The organisers’ decision to parachute Sharapova into the main draw in Stuttgart, where she has been champion three times, drew criticism from rivals, who believed she was receiving preferential treatment.
Walk the walk
But she brushed off any personal remarks. “I can’t control what people say, all I can is what I do out there, they are my words and I prefer to walk the walk and I have done it by winning five Grand Slam titles,” she told a packed press conference. “Words, quotes and articles are not what matter in life. I have learnt that very well in the last year. I’m coming back.”
The Russian says there is no lingering anger about her ban. “I am not an individual who gets angry about things, I let things go quickly,” she said.
A few players have said that Sharapova should not have been given a wild card in Stuttgart, but the Russian made it clear she will make no effort to build bridges in the locker room at tournaments with anyone who criticised her. “I don’t spend too much time there (locker room), I do my job, which consists of practising and I will go in there, I’ll change, get my stuff and I’m out of there,” she said. — AFP
Sharapova should not be allowed to play again: Bouchard
London: Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard has lashed out at WTA for giving Sharapova the chance to compete in tournaments after serving a 15-month doping ban. She said the Russian is a “cheater” who should never be allowed to play again. “She’s a cheater and ... I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again,” said Bouchard, a 2014 Wimbledon finalist. “It’s so unfair to all other players who do it the right way and are true. I think from WTA, it sends the wrong message to young kids: ‘cheat and we’ll welcome you back with open arms’. I don’t think that’s right and Sharapova is definitely not someone I can say I look up to anymore.”
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